{"id":58,"date":"2026-01-06T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58"},"modified":"2026-03-31T12:57:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:57:42","slug":"pizzeria-bianco-phoenix-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58","title":{"rendered":"Pizzeria Bianco – Phoenix, Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
The Original Pizzeria Bianco on Adams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of pizza in America, Ed Levine, the creator\/founder of\u00a0Serious Eats<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0 ate nothing but pizza for an entire twelve month period, taking a representative pulse of the best from among thousands of pizza purveyors. His terrific tome, Pizza A Slice of Heaven<\/em>, published in 2005,\u00a0 provides a definitive guide to a much-loved product that in its elemental form is simplicity itself–bread, cheese and whatever toppings a pizzaioli artisan might care to add. To the surprise of many, Levine declared the best pizza in America (and the world, for that matter) to be made in the unlikely town of Phoenix, Arizona where the intensely brilliant Chris Bianco plies his trade as no other.<\/p>\n

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Interior of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before a business trip to Phoenix in 2002, I also learned that a writer for Travel & Leisure<\/em> magazine definitively proclaimed Pizzeria Bianco as “the best place in America for pizza<\/em>.” I also found that in its 1998 edition, Zagat’s respondents rated Pizzeria Bianco the top restaurant in Phoenix with a lofty rating of 29. Despite these proclamations, I couldn’t accept that a pizza could possibly be that good. The impunity of all these blasphemers to place on the loftiest pedestal, a pizza crafted in what I then perceived to be the culinary wasteland.\u00a0 Many visits to Phoenix later, my opinion of the Valley of the Sun’s eateries has certainly changed.<\/p>\n

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Pizzeria Bianco at Its Town & Country Location in Phoenix<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pizzeria Bianco has proven it is not a flash in the pan.\u00a0 Over the years since my inaugural visit, it has sustained the excellence about which Ed Levine and other similarly credentialed food writers have waxed eloquent.\u00a0 That excellence has been acknowledged through the receipt of several James Beard Foundation awards and nominations.\u00a0 James Beard awards are considered the “Oscars of the food world,” signifying the very best.\u00a0 Among the honors bestowed upon Pizzeria Bianco’s legendary owner Chris Bianco are Best Chef: Southwest in 2003 (making him the first pizzaiolo to ear that accolnade) and Outstanding Restaurateur in 2022.\u00a0 Pizzeria Bianco has also received nominations for “Outstanding Restaurant” in 2013, 2014, and 2020.<\/p>\n

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The Front Dining Room at Pizzeria Bianco at the Town & Country Shops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps because he’s suffered from asthma since childhood, you won’t be seeing Chris Bianco lovingly tending to his wood-burning ovens.\u00a0 In 2010, years of inhaling flour dust and wood-fired smoke, led to a severe attack that forced him to step back from his ovens.\u00a0 The condition is called “baker’s lung.”\u00a0 It’s essentially an allergy to airborne flour.\u00a0 The condition is well-managed with medication and lifestyle changes which include limited time in the kitchen he loves so much.\u00a0 Fortunately, Bianco has a knack for business.<\/p>\n

Not only has Pizzeria Bianco had unprecedented staying power, owner Chris Bianco has proven himself quite the restaurant impresario.\u00a0 In 2005, he founded Pane Bianco<\/strong><\/a> about four miles from his flagship pizzeria. Pane Bianco’s causa essendi is to showcase his fresh-baked breads and focaccia sandwiches, focusing on simple, high-quality ingredients baked in a wood-fired oven.\u00a0 Pane Bianco is my very favorite sandwich shop across the fruited plain.\u00a0 It should come as absolutely no surprise that the world\u2019s premier pizzaioli also creates sandwiches that are the equal of his pizza.<\/p>\n

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Marcos Tends to the Pizza and Bread Oven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What might surprise you is that the James Beard Award-Winning Chef doesn\u2019t create his sandwiches\u2013each of which would be considered any other sandwich-maker\u2019s\u00a0chef-d\u2019oeuvre\u2013on an array of different breads. \u00a0At Pane Bianco, only one type of bread is used in the construction of most of its sumptuous sandwiches\u2013a split focaccia. \u00a0In its list of the\u00a0Best Sandwich Shops in America<\/strong><\/a>, Thrillist describes the focaccia as\u00a0\u201cboy what a bread it is \u2014 a focaccia that\u2019s crispy and glistening with olive oil on the outside, pillow-soft on the inside<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2013, Chris Bianco founded a restaurant he originally called Italian Restaurant but later renamed “Pizzeria Bianco: Town & Country.”\u00a0 It evolved from a broader Italian concept into the pizza-centric restaurant it is today.\u00a0 The Town & Country location has proven very good to Bianco who, in\u00a02016, founded an Italian trattoria he christened Tratto.\u00a0 It’s his first venture not focused on pizza or bread.\u00a0 Instead, Tratto offers simple, upscale Italian dishes crafted with local ingredients.\u00a0 Like the second instantiation of Pizzeria Bianco, Tratto is located at Town & Country Shops<\/strong><\/a> on Camelback.<\/p>\n

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Bread and Olive Oil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During my inaugural visit–as if validating a Pygmalian effect (a self-fulfilling prophecy that essentially says you get what you expect)–I wasn’t as enamored of Pizzeria Bianco as its legion of fans. Could it be I was a Bob Newhart in a world of Daryls and Larrys. Not only did the spangled restaurant fail to live up to its billing, it wasn’t, in my estimation, even as good as some local wood-oven pizzerias.\u00a0 Sure, it was fun to watch Chris Bianco as he held court at his wood-fired oven, but insofar as enjoying the pizza, I was somewhat underwhelmed.\u00a0 Admittedly, the one-hundred degree plus temperature may have had something to do.\u00a0 It’s hard to enjoy anything when sweltering heat drains your enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

My disappointment started with an appetizer called speidini<\/strong><\/em> in which skewers of Prosciutto de Parma are wrapped around Italian Fontina (a straw-colored Italian cheese with a soft flesh and a mild, delicate flavor) and served warm. It was much too salty for my taste, a consequence of very strong (and very authentic) prosciutto. This antecedent to my pizza was accompanied by a wonderful crusty bread served with extra virgin olive oil.\u00a0 6 January 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 My taste buds may have changed between the years 2002 and 2025.\u00a0 That’s one explanation for how much I enjoyed the speidini the second time I\u00a0 had it.\u00a0 Admittedly, my Kim and I took our time between bites, allowing the salty and rich notes to wash over us.\u00a0 Speidini is outstanding, the essence of wood-fired smoke making sweet love to superb ingredients.<\/p>\n

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Speidini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pizza which introduced me to the magic of Chris Bianco was the “Wise Guy<\/strong><\/em>,” a twelve-inch, thin-crusted, white (no tomato sauce) pizza with pecan wood roasted onion, house-smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage. Only the mozzarella made an impression thanks to its creaminess and pliable texture. Perhaps an unconscious desire not to succumb to mass hysteria would still not let me accept that perhaps, I was truly tasting greatness–yet, inexplicably this pizza left an indelible impression on my mind and I knew a return visit was inevitable.<\/p>\n

6 January 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 After perusing the menu, my Kim’s eyes came to rest on the aforementioned Wise Guy (house-smoked mozzarella, wood-roasted onion, fennel sausage).\u00a0 I’m happy to have given it a second chance.\u00a0 Like the speidini, it was so much better the second time around.\u00a0 Marcos, who has lovingly tended the oven for fifteen years and learned from the master himself, showed us a small video of the mozzarella smoking process.\u00a0 He explained that a mix of pecan and oak woods are used. They impart a delightful smokiness to the pizza crust, onions and mozzarella.\u00a0 That smokiness is actually reminiscent of well-smoked (but not overly so) barbecue.\u00a0 For my Kim, the sweet, smoky onions and fennel-enriched sausage were the most exceptional aspects of the pizza.\u00a0 Staff of life lover that I am, it was the crust I became most enamored with.\u00a0 Though it may have been twenty years since my last visit, I’m still over the moon in love with Pizzeria Bianco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
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The Wise Guy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

27 October 2005<\/strong>:\u00a0 Three years elapsed before my second visit, but rather than approach it with an admittedly preset opinion, I was determined that tabula rasa (a blank slate), not a desire to prove everyone else wrong, would dictate my ultimate impression. Count me among the believers! My second meal was an epiphany–a revelation that Pizzeria Bianco just might be the best pizza restaurant in the world. For my penance, I should say 5,000 “Hail Chris Biancos” as I sorrowfully rue the wasted opportunities for multiple visits. My turnaround started with a salad of homemade mozzarella, local tomato and basil with extra virgin olive oil. The mozzarella was smoked to absolute perfection with a taste that left me wondering if I had just experienced the best mozzarella in my 39 years of fromage fanaticism. The flavor combination of fresh basil, garden fresh tomatoes and that trademark virgin olive oil made for a tremendous antecedent to what I hoped would be a better pizza than I first experienced in 2002.<\/p>\n

Rather than risk another Wise Guy, I opted for the Rosa<\/strong><\/em>, another white pizza–a gem made with red onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, Rosemary and Arizona pistachios. Let me say unequivocally that it was one of the two or three best pizzas I’ve ever had–at least the equal of some the very best pizzas of my youth in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. The crust, although thin, is substantial enough to support the high-quality ingredients with which Bianco tops his creations. It is crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside–a masterful canvas for a masterpiece by a true maestro.<\/p>\n

\n
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Tres Leches Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 January 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 Our server was almost as disappointed as we were that Pizzeria Bianco doesn’t offer any wood-smoked desserts.\u00a0 The reason, Marcos explained, is that the oven is almost always at capacity.\u00a0 Whether smoking mozzarella, baking pizza or firing onions, the oven is fully occupied at all times.\u00a0 Not to fret.\u00a0 Pizzeria Bianco, an Italian restaurant, serves some of the best tres leches cake,<\/strong><\/em> a Mexican dessert we’ve ever had.\u00a0 Its moistness was apparent even before the press of a fork.\u00a0 It positively oozed the three milks which give this confection its name.\u00a0 A thick layer of creamy frosting punctuated by pecans was as wonderful as the magnificent milky cake.<\/p>\n

During my first two visits the original Pizzeria Bianco location on Adams Street, I arrived within seconds after the restaurant opened and within minutes, the small red-brick structure (built in 1929) had people waiting to come in. Situated in the historic Heritage and Science square, Pizzeria Bianco is not only loved by the masses, but by this once skeptical “doubting Thomas” who has seen the light of a wood-burning oven which crafts the best pizza in America, perhaps the world.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the Robb Report released a list of “The 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 One Arizona restaurant stood shoulder to shoulder with Michelin-starred spots from New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Robb Report tapped 250 industry insiders to nominate restaurants “that have endured, influenced, and amazed<\/em>.” Pizzeria Bianco took spot 45 for spearheading the artisanal pizza movement and being “a mecca for pizza lovers and a source of inspiration for pizzaiolos everywhere<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

PIZZERIA BIANCO<\/strong>
\n623 East Adams Street
\nPhoenix, Arizona<\/strong>
\n(602) 258-8300
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 27 October 2005
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Outstanding<\/span><\/strong>–A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: The Rosa; Mozzarella Salad<\/p>\n

Pizzeria Bianco Town & Country<\/strong>
\n4743 North 20th Street
\nPhoenix, Arizona<\/strong>
\n(602) 368-3273
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 6 January 2026
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>:\u00a0 The Wise Guy, Speidini, Bread and Olive Oil, Tres Leches Cake<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of pizza in America, Ed Levine, the creator\/founder of\u00a0Serious Eats,\u00a0 ate nothing but pizza for an entire twelve month period, taking a representative pulse of the best from among thousands of pizza purveyors. His terrific tome, Pizza A Slice of Heaven, published in 2005,\u00a0 provides a definitive guide to a much-loved product that in its elemental form is simplicity itself–bread, cheese and whatever toppings a pizzaioli artisan might care to add. To the surprise of many, Levine declared the best pizza in America (and the world, for that matter) to be made in the unlikely town of Phoenix, Arizona where the intensely brilliant Chris Bianco plies his trade as no other. Before a business…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5480,5481,28,2836,68,561,553],"tags":[1982,3530,5346,3147,3531,5347,2399,5344,5348,5482,2865,5345],"class_list":["post-58","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2003-james-beard-foundation-jbf-best-chef-southwest-winner","category-2022-james-beard-foundation-jbf-outstanding-restaurateur","category-arizona","category-james-beard-award-best-chef-restaurants","category-pizza","category-rating-outstanding","category-across-america","tag-chris-bianco","tag-ed-levine","tag-heritage-and-science-square","tag-james-beard-best-chef-southwest-winner-2003","tag-pizza-a-slice-of-heaven","tag-robb-report","tag-rosa","tag-speidini","tag-the-100-greatest-american-restaurants-of-the-21st-century","tag-town-country-shops","tag-tres-leches-cake","tag-wise-guy"],"yoast_head":"\nPizzeria Bianco - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=58\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pizzeria Bianco - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of pizza in America, Ed Levine, the creator\/founder of\u00a0Serious Eats,\u00a0 ate nothing but pizza for an entire twelve month period, taking a representative pulse of the best from among thousands of pizza purveyors. His terrific tome, Pizza A Slice of Heaven, published in 2005,\u00a0 provides a definitive guide to a much-loved product that in its elemental form is simplicity itself–bread, cheese and whatever toppings a pizzaioli artisan might care to add. To the surprise of many, Levine declared the best pizza in America (and the world, for that matter) to be made in the unlikely town of Phoenix, Arizona where the intensely brilliant Chris Bianco plies his trade as no other. 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